Wembley crisis in the posh seats as debenture holders fail to renew

Wembley are facing a crisis over the re-selling of their 10-year debenture seats that underpin the business plan of the national stadium.

The contracts for the vast majority of the 17,500 corporate seats expire in 2017 and surveys of the Club Wembley membership are reported to show the percentage of those prepared to renew for another decade is alarmingly low.

The seats were sold during an economic boom, with a minimum package costing around £50,000.

Struggling: Wembley's debenture seats are not selling at the expected rate

But a considerable number of those corporate customers believe Wembley’s annual calendar of matches doesn’t represent anything like value for money, with this year’s 150th anniversary fixture list being an exception.

And it won’t help the forthcoming debenture sales pitch that the expansion of Euro 2016 to 24 teams could reduce the quality of England’s qualifying group opponents.

Wembley managing director Roger Maslin insists a lot more debenture holders are prepared to renew than the paltry 20 per cent claimed by Club Wembley insiders.

But even Maslin says he would ‘probably choose not to’ commit for another decade. The likelihood is that Wembley will have to offer contracts of three, five or seven years next time, with a lower joining fee, to have any chance of holding on to their unsettled Club Wembley patrons.

Maslin added: ‘We have to deliver a Wembley programme on and off the pitch from 2017 that enthuses our membership.’

The battle for football rights between Sky and BT Sport is such that Sky Sports managing director Barney Francis felt it necessary to travel to Portugal to speak at the Football League clubs’ summit in Vilamoura.

Francis stressed the importance of the FL to his network, with two seasons remaining on the Sky contract.

The subtext is that Sky will do all they can to prevent BT winning football rights.

Norman Howell, departing director of communications for motor sport’s FIA ruling body, has been working for an ultra media shy president in Jean Todt.

So it will be a culture change in Howell’s new role at the European division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship to be spokesman for Garry Cook, the publicity-conscious, gaffe-prone former chief executive of Manchester City. Cook says he wants a media chief who will explain the business narrative of a growing sport — not something the FIA ever did under Todt.

Media shy: FIA president Jean Todt walks in the paddock at the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix

Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre and his Norwich counterpart David McNally were the two to miss out in yesterday’s ballot of Premier League clubs to pick their seven representatives on the FA Council.

The incumbents were all returned. Departing PL chairman Sir Dave Richards will become an honorary vice-president of the FA but it was decided by clubs that he cannot represent them on any FA group, meaning he has to stand down as chairman of the international committee.

Al Jazeera pulls plug

AL Jazeera have made the surprise decision to close their operation in London, from where their English language football content — including the Champions League and FA Cup — is broadcast.

Instead, all the London sports programming will come from Al Jazeera’s global HQ in Doha, meaning the likes of Gary Lineker, who presents their Champions League coverage, would have to travel to Qatar to continue hosting the show.

That is not going to happen with Lineker working for NBC as well as the BBC next season. But there is a possibility of Richard Keys and Andy Gray basing themselves in Doha were Al Jazeera to show the Premier League, which Middle East rights-holding agency MP & Silva have yet to sell on, in addition to their other football next season.

Up for the trip? Gary Lineker would have to travel to Qatar to host Al Jazeera's Champions League coverage

The ECB, having failed to get legislation introduced to safeguard the official selling of Ashes tickets, are instead having to take the lead in the fight against the pirate secondary ticket market.

Touts Out leaflets are being distributed with every international cricket ticket this summer, while posters will be displayed at match venues. And England Rugby 2015 are still lobbying for specific ticket regulations for the World Cup.